By Alexander Marrow
MOSCOW, July 18 (Reuters)
In recent weeks, Russia has intensified its stance against foreign communication platforms, putting the future of WhatsApp in the country in question. The negotiations take place against a backdrop of growing state control over the digital sphere, marked by more specific laws and the encouragement of domestic alternatives. This shift reflects Moscow’s strategy to reduce technological dependence on the West and strengthen the “digital sovereignty”.
Russian lawmakers tighten grip on foreign massaging apps
WhatsApp should prepare to leave the Russian market, a lawmaker who regulates the IT sector said on Friday, warning that the messaging app owned by Meta Platforms META.O was likely to be put on a list of restricted software. President Vladimir Putin last month signed a law authorising the development of a state-backed messaging app integrated with government services, as Russia strives to reduce its dependence on platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram.
Anton Gorelkin, deputy head of the lower house of parliament’s information technology committee, said in a statement on Telegram that the state-backed app, MAX, could gain market share if WhatsApp – used by 68% of Russians daily – left. “It’s time for WhatsApp to prepare to leave the Russian market,” Gorelkin said, adding that Meta is designated as an extremist organization in Russia. The company’s Facebook and Instagram social media platforms have been banned in Russia since 2022, when Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine.
Russian lawmakers this week approved sweeping legal amendments, proposing fines of up to 5,000 roubles ($63) for anyone searching for material online that the government deems extremist, which includes not just the likes of Instagram and Facebook, but many opposition politicians and activists. The move drew criticism, including from some Kremlin backers such as Margarita Simonyan, a state media executive who said journalists would be unable to investigate the activities of opposition groups such as the Anti-Corruption Fund of late opposition figure Alexei Navalny.
National security concerns drive potential WhatsApp ban
The pressure on WhatsApp reflects not only legal concerns but also national security issues. For Russian authorities, apps controlled by Western companies present potential risks of espionage and foreign influence. This justification is the most used one to legitimize restrictions on digital services and promote, in parallel, local alternatives aligned with government guidelines.
Anton Nemkin, a member of the parliament’s IT committee, said WhatsApp’s fate in Russia was now predetermined. “The presence of such a service in Russia’s digital space is, in fact, a legal breach of national security,” the TASS news agency quoted Nemkin as saying. Asked if WhatsApp might leave Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said all services must abide by Russian law.
In addition to the risk of direct bans, the Russian government has resorted to indirect strategies to discourage the use of foreign platforms, such as throttling speeds and blocking certain features. In the end, these actions force the migration of users to a new state-owned app.
Slower WhatsApp speeds may drive users toward state platforms
Russia has long sought to establish what it calls digital sovereignty by promoting homegrown services. Critics have voiced concerns that Russia’s new state-backed messaging app may track its users’ activities and have suggested Russia could slow WhatsApp’s speeds to encourage downloads. Alphabet’s GOOGL.O YouTube has seen its audience in Russia drop sharply in the last year to fewer than 10 million daily users from more than 40 million in mid-2024, as slower download speeds have made it harder for people to access.
All these points show that Russia’s digital system is increasingly restricted, which, on the one hand, can be used as an argument to guarantee technological security in the country, but, on the other, can be interpreted as a loss of freedom on the part of users in the service sector and, of course, the risk of constant surveillance.